Cigarettes, Rocky Horror and Sleep Deprivation
Author: I'm back! Finished a very stressful & exhausting move, found the shortest route to work & still unpacking.
But I've found time to write. Can't even begin to say how badly I'm itching to watch dvds but my DVD player is still
packed. Warnings: language, alcohol, cigarettes, mood swings & a very pissy hawk. I own nobody. Not even Dummy.
Clint flinched when he felt a hand pass through his hair. The hand pulled away and he relaxed.
"You awake?" a soft voice asked as the scent of vanilla, gunpowder and leather washed over him. He smiled slightly when he placed the scent and voice to a face.
"Partially. Do we need to move?" he yawned, stretching out on the couch.
Tasha smirked. Move was their code word for time to go ready for a mission. "No just checking to see if you've been getting any sleep." she told him. She had been in the SHIELD headquarters in DC the past three weeks being debriefed... on everything. Thor, Captain America, Tony Stark, Bruce Banner, The Hulk, Clint (not that she needed that one), etc... Add scaring new recruits (and some older ones), reminding all the other handlers why nobody put Coulson had been able to reign her in and making Fury quite well aware of the fact she did not approve of Loki being returned to Asgard when he should face justice on their world to the mix... small wonder she had been gone three weeks not the two her superiors thought it would take.
"Off and on. Did you have fun scaring new recruits?" he asked, sitting up. The wounds on his shoulders and back from breaching a window without sleeves (not his best idea) had all healed. He had put back on the weight he had lost from being under Loki's control for two and a half days without being allowed to rest. All the injuries given to him by the Asgardian were healed but he still had nightmares. Nobody could make him talk about them either. He either changed the subject or walked away.
"I worked double time. Even got some of the older members. Sitwell asked that I give you his best... after he pissed his pants." she told him. Clint stared at her for a moment in surprise before he started laughing. It wasn't his usually deep, rich laughter though and Tasha found she missed that sound.
"Welcome home sir."
"Thank you Jarvis." Tony muttered.
"You look like shit man." Clint said, turning to look over the back of the couch. The billionaire's hair was disleveled like he had been pulling on it. The look of "Leave me the fuck alone" on his face didn't help.
"You probably would too if your girlfriend dumped you because and I quote: I can't deal with the thought of you possibly dieing because of the Avengers. Again." Tony grumbled.
"How is that your fault? Loki sicced the Chitauri on New York." Clint protested, getting up from the couch. He hid the shudder than went through his body when he mentioned Loki.
"I tried to tell her that." the billionaire growled, taking a drink of scotch straight from the bottle.
"Say what I can tell you're thinking Barton and I will hurt you." Tasha warned when a smirked crossed Clint's face.
"You're gonna hurt me anyways so I might as well say it." the archer chuckled.
"Woman: can't live with them..." Tony said, sliding a glass of whiskey to the other man.
"Can't live without them." Clint smirked, lifting his glass to Tony in thanks before taking a drink.
"Idiots." Tasha said, cuffing Tony on the back of the head as she walked out the door.
"Why'd she hit me and not you?" Tony complained when she was gone.
"Cuz she knows how I'd react." Clint told him. A darkness entered Clint's eyes as Tony watched. It was not survivor's guilt... no. Tony knew how that looked. This was something much deeper routed than that.
"Still having nightmares?" Tony asked, trying to draw the archer back to reality.
"Everyone know?" Clint asked, avoiding his gaze. As he spoke Tony swore his eyes went from dark blue to light gray
"Depends on who you've told. Jarvis alerted me the first night you stayed at the tower." Tony shrugged. Each of the Avengers had their own huge room and plenty of room between their room and the next person's. Of course there were plenty of gyms, shooting ranges, kitchens, living rooms, etc... They were a very loose knit group so Tony had made sure they could live together in something like peace.
"Sometimes. Just depends on the night... I guess." Clint muttered, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket. He pulled one out before offering the pack to Tony.
"Thanks." the billionaire said, surprised at the other man's comradery. He was under the impression that the archer was a loner and despised people other than Natasha and Coulson.
"Did you think I was gonna kill you as soon I could for all the hell you put us through? I'm surprised Tasha didn't murder you after that damn party of yours." Clint smirked. Antisocial he was and he enjoyed watching people tip toe around him.
"Party?" Tony asked, feigning ignorance or memory lose due to massive amounts of alcohol. Clint's eyes narrowed at him and Tony almost wanted to run. "Oh that party. Me and Rhodey fighting in my suits, one of which he still has." he quickly added, hoping the archer wouldn't kill him. "Why were you there? I thought you were in New Mexico guarding Point Break's hammer." he asked, cocking his head slightly.
"I was there for backup. Once the party got under control I left for two weeks leave. Then I got shipped off to guard Mjolnir." Clint said, exhaling. The smoke drifted lazily in front of him before the nozzle of a fire extinguisher appeared in his face. "The fuck?" he asked.
"Dummy!" Tony snapped, glaring at the machine. The machine gave a sad whine and dropped it's "head" before gliding away.
"One of your wayward pets?" Clint asked, cocking an eyebrow at the machine.
"Named for the rocks in his head." Tony muttered.
"You in no way, shape or form resemble Columbia." the archer told him.
Tony's eyes widened and he stared at the other man in shock. Clint was the last man he expected to know Rocky Horror. "I've been told I could make a decent Frank." he admitted. It was true. But it had also been at a halloween party and he had been utterly fucked up on who knew what that night.
Clint eyed the dark haired man before rolling his eyes. "Dummy." he called.
The machine chirped and swiveled to return to the archer. It chittered and bumped happily against his hip.
"Let's see if we can't make you smarter than your maker. Or at least a bit more threatening if nothing else." Clint said, turning away to leave.
"Fuck you Hawk." Tony growled.
Clint stopped and a slight shiver passed through him, making him roll his shoulders. The glare he turned on Tony had made men Thor's size piss their pants in fear. There was rage, danger and a promise of a very slow and painful death in his eyes. "You know that day Fury came by to tell me I was off active duty... I wanted to rip that reactor from your chest just to watch the glow go out. I still do. And I don't give a fuck if it kills you." the archer snarled.
Author: expect next chapter to have some humor. Got an idea in my head curtisy of a pic of Christian Bale from Terminator Salvation this is completely out of context.